Rising Star

From growing up on a farm in Mongolia to recently graduating from beauty school in Santa Monica, California, the fascinating story of Suvdaa Jargalsaikhan (Soov-da JAR-ghal-SAY-khan) is one of determination and dreams...of survival and success.

Capturing fi rst-place honors in the 2012 Junior Style Stars competition is the culmination of Suvdaa’s recurring dream since childhood. “It entailed being famous, wearing a red dress, getting out of a fancy sports car, and walking into a salon, which I owned,” she smiles.

“As a child and then young lady living in Mongolia, I thought the dream was bizarre and didn’t pursue it. Instead, I became a math teacher (no cosmetology courses existed), got married and had a son. Unfortunately, my husband passed away at a young age. After such a big loss, I was devastated. To overcome my diffi cult times, I decided to come to the United States of America, the land of dreams.

“After studying at Santa Monica College for 1/2 years, winning the Junior Style Stars competition has been more than a dream come true; it has been an incredible learning experience. I’m grateful to the judges for thinking that I deserve the honor of being this year’s gold winner!”

Suvdaa has many plans for the future, beginning with starting life as a stylist at a great salon. Beyond that, her plans include gaining experience as a platform artist and working for fashion shows and movies. Ultimately, though, her long-term goal is to return to her beloved teaching—but this time in the fi eld of cosmetology.

Notice: Enrollment for the 2013 Junior Style Stars, a national competition for students only, begins September 1 and ends November 30, 2012. For more information: JuniorStyleStars.com

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